Vehicle-spring



('No Model.)

A. .'000PER.

VEHICLE SPRING.

Patented Dec. 27, 1887 w tfnesses.

N. PEYQR; Pholwlimc m har. Washington, D. c.

UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

ALFRED J. COOPER, OF DURYEA, PENNSYLVANIA.

VEHl CLE-SPRlNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,411, dated December27, 1887.

Application filed July 2 8, 1887.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED J. COOPER, of Duryea, in the county ofLuzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Vehicle-Springs; and I do hereby declare thefollowing-to be a full, elear,and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, and to the figures andletters of reference markedthereon.

My present invention relates particularly to that class of carriagespopularly known as side-bar or backboard carriagessuch, for instance, asshown in my prior patent, No. 351,581, dated October 26, 1886; and thesaid invention consists in certain details of const-ruction and novelimprovements on the device shown in the aforesaid patent, whereby thecostof manufacture is reduced, the adj ustment rendered easier and moreefficient, and the vehicle caused to ride over obstructions more evenlyand comfortably, all as will be hereinafter described, arid pointed outparticularly in the claims at the end of this specification. v

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of acarriage, showing the spring constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the rod upon which the bodypivots with its connections. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of theconnection between the central spring and front bolster or rear axle.Figs. 4 and 5 are views of a modification.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the sameparts.

The letter A indicates the body of the carriage; B B, the side bars, andG the bar or rod extending from the center of one side bar to the centerof the other, and upon which the body pivots. In my previously-patenteddevice this bar 0 was fastened rigidly to the cured to the side bars.

body and took its hearings in metal clips se- In the present instance Iprefer' to make the cross-rod fast to the side bars, and locate thehearings on the under side of the carriage-body, as will now bedescribed. The bar or rod is preferably manufactured in two parts, oneend, 0, of each section being flat and with a screw-thread, (2, formedadjacent thereto. Clips D, having screwthreads therein corresponding tothe threads on the rods, are now screwed .on them and the two sectionsof the rod welded together. This construction, it will be seen, permitsthe clips D on the screw-threaded portions cl to be located such adistance apart as to fit under the sills or frame-work of the body at apoint most favorable for hearing the load, no matter what the width ofthe body may be, all as will be readily understood by those skilled inthe art. The flattened ends of the rod have suitable holes therein forthe accommodation of the ends of the clips E, which pass over and aroundthe side bars at approximately their centers, it being necessary toemploy but'one of these clips on each side.

Below the center of the body is a spring or springs, G,secured thereto,preferably through the medium of a short spring or springs, g,

which take their hearings on cross-pieces f, running from-side to sideof the body, although it is perfectly obvious that, if desired, anyother suitable connection may be interposed between the spring G andbody, or the spring may be connected directly thereto.

The ends of the spring are connected, one

to the front bolster and the other to the rear axle, as follows:Suitable clips, H, are located, one on said bolster, the other on therear axle, and hinged'to these clips,preferably by a yokeandlugconnection similar to those in my prior patent, are screw-threaded rodsI, over which are adapted to fit loose sleeves or collars K, secured .tothe ends of the spring G. Now, in order to secure these loose sleevesadjustably to the rods I, nuts k are located above and below them, asclearly shown in Fig. 3. The ends of the sleeves are preferably recessedconically, and the nuts are, preferably, conical nuts, so as to preventthe sleeve resting on the screw-threads, as well as to take up all wearand prevent the device from rat tling.

In-Figs. 4t and 5 is illustrated a modification of the side bar andconnections, in which it will be seen that the rod 0 is securelyfastened to the body, as in my former patent, and

has its ends screw-threaded and inserted in From the above descriptionit will be seen that the body is pivoted at the center on the rod 0, thebearings of which are screw-threaded, thus doing away with all nuts,and, on account of the very little friction and motion at this point,forming a much tighter and better bearing, less liable to rattle, and atthe same time holding the parts firmly in position.

The carriage-body, by being pivoted in the center and held from tiltingeither forward or backward by the spring beneath the same, is maintainedlevel, or comparativelylevel,even

. though one or both the front or hind wheels be suddenly raised ordepressed, as in passing over a stone or into a rut, which could not bethe case were the body connected to the side bars at two or more points,as in that case the body would partake of their motion.

The devices for adjusting the tension of the spring independently ateitherend enable the level or inclination of the body to be adjusted tosuit the convenience of the user, and should either end of the springsag for any cause it may be readily compensated for. It will also beobserved that I do away entirely with the swivel on the connecting-rod,and that I employ but a single clip to secure the cross-rod to the sidebars, thus obtaining the full spring of the latter.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with the side bars of acarriage or wagon, of a rod connecting said side bars at the center, theends of the rod be ing secured fixedly to the side bars, the bodypivoting in bearings upon said rod, so as to be supported by the sidebars, and the spring for holding the body in upright position,substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the two side bars, of a rod for connecting themtogether at approximately the center upon which the body pivots, thebearings for said body being screwthreaded, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the two side bars and rod connecting themrigidly together at approximately the center, of screw-threaded bearingson said rod, intermediate the side bars upon which the body pivots,substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the body pivoted to the side bars, of thecentral spring secured to the body, the sleeve on the spring fittingover the screw-threaded rods on the front bolster and rear axle, andindependent nuts on said rods for adjusting the position of the sleevetherein, and the level or inclination of the body, substantially asdescribed.

5. The combination, with the side bars, the body pivoted at or near themiddleto the side bars, of the spring secured to the body, the sleeveson said spring fitting loosely over the rods on the front bolster andrear axle, having recesses in their ends, and nuts having projectionsfor fitting said recesses in the sleeves for adjusting the position ofthe sleeves and the inclination of the body, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the body, of the metal spring side bars havingscrew-threaded bearings thereon in which the body pivots, and a springfor holding the body in upright position, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the pivoted body and the central spring, of thesleeves on said spring having conical recesses in their ends, and theconical nuts fitting said recesses for adjusting the position of thesleeves and taking up wear, substantially as described.

ALFRED J. COOPER.

\Vitnesses:

A. S. STEUART, CHAS. R. BURR.

